Good afternoon,
Please be advised that MassHousing has issued the site eligibility approval for the proposed 55 unit 40B to be located at 148 Weston Road. We are unsure as to when the proponent would submit the Comprehensive Permit application to the ZBA, but based on the recent Delanson filing, I anticipate the filing within the next 7-14 days. I will notify abutters when the application has been submitted both digitally and by mail.

Joint Meeting on the 148 Weston Road 40B Project
The Board of Selectmen and Planning Board will be having a joint meeting on Monday, November 20th at approximately 7:00 pm (meeting starts at 6:30 pm) to begin the discussion of the draft letter to MassHousing on the proposed 55 unit 40B project seeking Site Eligibility at 148 Weston Road. Public comments will be welcomed.

We have all seen the signs and heard the discussions on affordable housing applications on Linden Street and Great Plain Avenue. It is important to listen to this conversations as applications move forward and how it may impact the North 40 and other Town owned land.

Residents who regularly visit the North 40 – and specifically, the part that was once a dump site – have noticed town employees in the area and heard rumors that trees are going to be removed.
The North 40 is an undeveloped parcel of land along Weston Road that the town
acquired from Wellesley College. In addition to community gardens, it includes walking trails and a vernal pool. The town leased 22 acres from 1955 to 1960 for a sanitary landfill.

So what’s going on? The answer, according to Meghan Jop, Wellesley’s assistant
executive director, has to do with evaluation and testing of the landfill, a process that began in 2014.

As part of this, she said in an email, “The town is continuing to work with
Environmental Partners Group Inc. to address environmental assessment activities
required to support a Phase II Comprehensive Site Assessment and Phase III Remedial Action Plan under the Massachusetts Contingency Plan (MCP).”
The site was classified as a Tier 1 site after arsenic was found in December 2015. The selectmen received funds at Town Meeting in 2017 to do the work , which will “install additional groundwater monitoring wells, do some additional test pits within the landfill area to delineate the thickness and extent of the landfill cover material, and install gas piezometers within the landfill waste to assist with determining the necessary cleanup/remedy for the landfill,” according to Jop.

The team will be at the site over the next few weeks doing the investigation. “Several trees may impacted or removed by DPW to get necessary equipment into the area,” Jop said.

What’s going on at Wellesley’s North 40?

The work is likely to begin in the next two weeks, “with larger equipment coming
towards the end of August,” she said. “Once the selectmen review the results, the town will have a better understanding of required remedial action and the goal is to return to the annual Town Meeting in March 2018 to seek funding to complete the work. Under the MCP all work must be complete by December 2019.”
Once exact dates are known, the town will be posting notices, including any information about closures of the aqueduct trail. “At present, we believe we can keep it open during the work,” Jop said.

​The vernal pool’s close proximity to roads and residences makes it especially vulnerable to stormwater runoff carrying pollutants, including pesticides and fertilizers. Come learn how to maintain your property naturally at this free event!

Landscapes for Living: A Forum on Eco-Friendly Gardening and Lawn Care

Saturday, May 13

10:30 am to 3 pm

Wellesley Free Library

Whether you are a beginning gardener or a long-time green thumb, you’ll find inspiration and information at this free forum on earth-friendly ways to care for your home landscape. Enjoy talks by nationally known experts Doug TallamyandChip Osborne, and participate in practical workshops on composting, ornamental edibles, and planting for pollinators! Come at10 amand get advice on soil analysis fromCricket Vlass,Landscape Planner for the Wellesley DPW.

I received the following email from a resident. Although not specifically about the North 40, it does tie into discussions we had on the North 40 Steering Committee regarding reduction of open space in Town, as well as, the possible implications that the closure of Hardy may have on what gets developed (if anything) on the North 40.

The School Facilities Committee’s (SFC) recommendation is awaiting approval from the School Committee on building a new 536 student school where Upham is currently located. This new buildout requires blasting of considerable amounts of ledge and reduction of open space. A decent amount of woodland and ledge would need to be removed.

The School Committee will vote on this proposal this month (possibly at the January 26th meeting).